657 research outputs found
Next generation "Omics" Approaches in the "Fight" against blood doping
No full textDespite being prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), blood manipulations such as the use of recombinant human erythropoietin and blood transfusions are a well-known method used by athletes to enhance performance. Direct detection of illicit blood manipulation has been partially successful due to the short detection window of the substances/methods, sample collection timing, and the use of sophisticated masking strategies. In response, WADA introduced the athlete biological passport (ABP) in 2009, which is an individualised longitudinal monitoring approach that tests primarily haematologic biomarkers of doping in order to identify atypical variability in response(s) in athletes, highlighting a potential doping violation. Although the implementation of the ABP has been an encouraging step forward in the quest for clean/drug-free sport, this detection method has some limitations. To reduce the risk of being detected by the ABP method, athletes are now resorting to microdoses of prohibited blood boosting substances to prevent abnormal fluctuations in haematologic biomarkers, thereby reducing the sensitivity of the ABP detection method. Recent studies from numerous laboratories, including our own, have confirmed the potential of transcriptomic microarrays, which can reveal distinct changes in gene expression after blood manipulations, to enhance the ABP. There is, therefore, an urgent need to intensify research efforts that involve transcriptomics and other state-of-the-art molecular methods, collectively known as "omics", e.g., proteomics (proteins) and metabolomics (metabolites), in order to identify new and even more robust molecular signatures of blood manipulation that can be used in combination with the ABP and, intriguingly, even as a stand-alone test
Brain serotonin and dopamine modulators, perceptual responses and endurance performance during exercise in the heat following creatine supplementation
Full text linkBackground:The present experiment examined the responses of peripheral modulators and indices of brain serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) function and their association with perception of effort during prolonged exercise in the heat after creatine (Cr) supplementation. Methods:Twenty one endurance-trained males performed, in a double-blind fashion, two constant-load exercise tests to exhaustion at 63 ± 5% V O2 max in the heat (ambient temperature: 30.3 ± 0.5°C, relative humidity: 70 ± 2%) before and after 7 days of Cr (20 g·d-1 Cr + 140 g·d-1 glucose polymer) or placebo (Plc) (160 g·d-1 glucose polymer) supplementation.Results:3-way interaction has shown that Cr supplementation reduced rectal temperature, heart rate, ratings of perceived leg fatigue (P < 0.05), plasma free-tryptophan (Trp) (P < 0.01) and free-Trp:tyrosine ratio (P < 0.01) but did not influence the ratio of free-Trp:large neutral amino acids or contribute in improving endurance performance (Plc group, n = 10: 50.4 ± 8.4 min vs. 51.2 ± 8.0 min, P > 0.05; Cr group, n = 11: 47.0 ± 4.7 min vs. 49.7 ± 7.5 min, P > 0.05). However, after dividing the participants into "responders" and "non-responders" to Cr, based on their intramuscular Cr uptake, performance was higher in the "responders" relative to "non-responders" group (51.7 ± 7.4 min vs.47.3 ± 4.9 min, p < 0.05).Conclusion:although Cr influenced key modulators of brain 5-HT and DA function and reduced various thermophysiological parameters which all may have contributed to the reduced effort perception during exercise in the heat, performance was improved only in the "responders" to Cr supplementation. The present results may also suggest the demanding of the pre-experimental identification of the participants into "responders" and "non-responders" to Cr supplementation before performing the main experimentation. Otherwise, the possibility of the type II error may be enhance
COL5A1 gene variants previously associated with reduced soft tissue injury risk are associated with elite athlete status in rugby
Full text linkBackgroundTwo common single nucleotide polymorphisms within the COL5A1 gene (SNPs; rs12722 C/T and rs3196378 C/A) have previously been associated with tendon and ligament pathologies. Given the high incidence of tendon and ligament injuries in elite rugby athletes, we hypothesised that both SNPs would be associated with career success.ResultsIn 1105 participants (RugbyGene project), comprising 460 elite rugby union (RU), 88 elite rugby league athletes and 565 non-athlete controls, DNA was collected and genotyped for the COL5A1 rs12722 and rs3196378 variants using real-time PCR. For rs12722, the injury-protective CC genotype and C allele were more common in all athletes (21% and 47%, respectively) and RU athletes (22% and 48%) than in controls (16% and 41%, P ≤ 0.01). For rs3196378, the CC genotype and C allele were overrepresented in all athletes (23% and 48%) and RU athletes (24% and 49%) compared with controls (16% and 41%, P ≤ 0.02). The CC genotype in particular was overrepresented in the back and centres (24%) compared with controls, with more than twice the odds (OR = 2.25, P = 0.006) of possessing the injury-protective CC genotype. Furthermore, when considering both SNPs simultaneously, the CC–CC SNP-SNP combination and C–C inferred allele combination were higher in all the athlete groups (≥18% and ≥43%) compared with controls (13% and 40%; P = 0.01). However, no genotype differences were identified for either SNP when RU playing positions were compared directly with each other.ConclusionIt appears that the C alleles, CC genotypes and resulting combinations of both rs12722 and rs3196378 are beneficial for rugby athletes to achieve elite status and carriage of these variants may impart an inherited resistance against soft tissue injury, despite exposure to the high-risk environment of elite rugby. These data have implications for the management of inter-individual differences in injury risk amongst elite athletes
The promise and possibilities of running in and out of Africa: Survey Results of Top East African Women Runners
Full text linkFirst paragraph of introduction: In addressing the promise and possibilities of running in and out of Africa this contribution begins by making a number of introductory remarks. First, that while it draws evidence from specific parts of Africa, notably Kenya and Ethiopia, many of the themes in this chapter could relate to other parts of Africa in the 21st century. With a population of about 690 million people living in 53 countries and one disputed territory, covering a total area of 11.7million square miles, Africa is the world’s second- largest continent (Meredith, 2005). The Sahara covers 3.3 million square miles, almost 25 per cent of land mass. Cairo is the biggest city in Africa, home to 9.2 million people. Sudan is the largest country covering 968,000 square miles but the most populated country in Africa is Nigeria, which, with more than 125 million people, is also the tenth most populated country in the world. Liberia has not only the highest unemployment rate in Africa (85%) but the highest in the world. Angola has the highest infant mortality rate, 192.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, while 18 of the top 20 countries world-wide with the highest infant mortality rates are in Africa. The richest country in Africa per capita is Mauritius, with US500 of GDP per capita. Sixteen African countries are in the top 20 poorest in the world, with 70% of Africa’s population surviving on less than $2 a day. To put this in some comparative context, for the season 2003-4 the wage and transfer bill of the four English football divisions stood at £1,049billion, a figure which eclipses the gross domestic product of some small African nations such as Lesotho and Mauritania, and could wipe out most of the debt of many countries both within and outside of Africa. The first point then is that the relational position of Africa in the world and the relations that make up Africa itself are complex, and uneven in the same way that the social and economic resources that flow in and out of parts of Africa are also complex, uneven, differentiated and in some cases unjust
Necessary Steps for the Application of an Integrative “Omics” Solution to the Detection of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rHuEPO)
Full text linkAbstract
Background: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bans the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) in sports, challenging to detect with the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) that monitors haematological data longitudinally. Since 2009, the ABP has identified potential doping trends, but the individual variability in transcriptomic signatures related to rHuEpo, high altitude, and exercise among non-doping individuals is still uncertain. This study seeks to create a biobank of non-doping samples to improve ABP's detection capabilities and establish transcriptomic reference ranges to reduce false doping results.
Methods: Four blood and urine samples were collected from 108 university students based in Eldoret, Kenya (~2100 above sea level) and Kisumu, Kenya (~1000 m above sea level) with 4 to 6 weeks between each collection. The students included Eldoret males (21±2 years), Eldoret females (22±2 years), Kisumu males (22±2) and Kisumu females (22±2 years). Blood was collected into a K2EDTA and a Tempus™ Blood RNA Tube for haematological and transcriptomic analysis, respectively. Haematological variables used as blood doping markers in the ABP include Red Blood Cells (RBC), Haematocrit (HCT), Haemoglobin (HGB), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Number of Reticulocytes (RET#) and Reticulocytes percentage (RET%). The Off-score was calculated for each sample using the formula: Hgb x 10 - 60(√RET%). The “clean” status of athletes was assessed using an ABP style model, created in MATLAB (version 6.1.0 with Statistics Toolbox version 3.0). Cut-off was applied with an adaptive Bayesian model to calculate individualized upper and lower limits for these variables, incorporating factors such as mean subject variance, between-subject variance, sex, and baseline data. This method aimed to distinguish between drug-free samples, which stayed within these personalized limits and suspicious samples which deviated significantly. Statistical analysis of haematological variables such as HGB, RET% and OFF-score, crucial for doping detection, were performed using R (R Studio, Version 1.2.5042, ABPS package, Vienna, Austria).
Results: Males from both Eldoret and Kisumu consistently exhibited higher (p<0.05) haematological variables than their female counterparts. However, female participants from both Kisumu and Eldoret showed a significantly higher (p<0.05) RET% compared to males. None of the participants from Eldoret exceeded the Bayesian cut-off for any haematological variable. Participants from Kisumu exceeded the cut-offs at only three time points for both sexes, OFF-score values, for females HGB values. Sixty participants surpassed the ABPS cut-off. Transcriptomic analysis has not yet been conducted, but results are anticipated by July 2024.
Conclusions: The blood samples collected in this study offer invaluable insights into the haematological reference values for healthy, non-doping Kenyan student-athletes and serve as the critical establishment of a control group. This foundational step is crucial for the next phase of this research, which involves developing transcriptomic tests designed to improve the detection of rHuEpo doping
Yannis Psycharis: Τα σκουλαρίκια &Το παιδί και τα δύο πουλάκια
Full text linkThis bachelor thesis consists of four parts - biography of the author Yannis Psycharis, the process of Greek language question, translation of two Greek tales into Czech and its commentary. The translated tales are a part of the collection of tales Στον ίσκιο του πλατάνου: δεκαπέντε διηγήματα, specifically Τα σκουλαρίκια a Το παιδί και τα δύο πουλάκια. The collection of tales was published by Greek Publisher Εστία in edition J. Gamber and was written by Yannis Psycharis. The commentary consists of an analysis of the source text and the typology of translation problems
Archaeology and the politics of pedagogy
No full textIt is argued here that pedagogy, rather than being a passive process of delivery, is part of the field of cultural politics, a contested domain, a public sphere where knowledges, views and perceptions on the past and the present are debated and contested, or valorized, reproduced and legitimized. Recent archaeological theory has neglected the field of pedagogy, which, as a result, has been largely colonized by the instrumentalist discourse, in its new, market-oriented reincarnation. This dominant view of archaeological pedagogy is presented in objectified, neutral terms as the natural, inevitable course of affairs: it has become the 'doxic' regime that is presented as being beyond criticism at its core, save for peripheral managerial points. Archaeology, however, has the ability to undermine this objectified discourse by showing the contingency, historicity, and the inevitably transient and unstable nature of the present-day pedagogical regime in archaeology. Current instrumentalist pedagogy, despite its dominance, does not go unchallenged. One way of challenging it is by devising pedagogical processes that create a space for critical reflection, reconnect subjectivity and experience with knowledge, and allow students not only to understand the material and social processes that generate and reproduce their own subjectivity, but also question and even transform these processes and conditions. Student-centred journals that promote critical reflexivity are an example of one such pedagogic process. This paper presents the experience of the author in using such a device in the teaching of a course on the archaeology and anthropology of eating and drinking
After the Fact; Precisely Now (translated by Edmund Keeley)
Full text linkYannis Ritsos, the distinguished Greek poet, has published many volumes, including Parentheses and The Distant.Edmund Keeley of Princeton, New Jersey is the author of a recent novel, A Wilderness Called Peace, and translator of a selection of Ritsos\u27s poems, Exile and Return, to be published this fall by The Ecco Press
New Opportunities to Advance the Field of Sports Nutrition
Full text linkSports nutrition is a relatively new discipline; with ~100 published papers/year in the 1990s to ~3,500+ papers/year today. Historically, sports nutrition research was primarily initiated by university-based exercise physiologists who developed new methodologies that could be impacted by nutrition interventions (e.g., carbohydrate/fat oxidation by whole body calorimetry and muscle glycogen by muscle biopsies). Application of these methods in seminal studies helped develop current sports nutrition guidelines as compiled in several expert consensus statements. Despite this wealth of knowledge, a limitation of the current evidence is the lack of appropriate intervention studies (e.g., randomized controlled clinical trials) in elite athlete populations that are ecologically valid (e.g., in real-life training and competition settings). Over the last decade, there has been an explosion of sports science technologies, methodologies, and innovations. Some of these recent advances are field-based, thus, providing the opportunity to accelerate the application of ecologically valid personalized sports nutrition interventions. Conversely, the acceleration of novel technologies and commercial solutions, especially in the field of biotechnology and software/app development, has far outstripped the scientific communities' ability to validate the effectiveness and utility of the vast majority of these new commercial technologies. This mini-review will highlight historical and present innovations with particular focus on technological innovations in sports nutrition that are expected to advance the field into the future. Indeed, the development and sharing of more "big data," integrating field-based measurements, resulting in more ecologically valid evidence for efficacy and personalized prescriptions, are all future key opportunities to further advance the field of sports nutrition. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2022 Jonvik, King, Rollo, Stellingwerff and Pitsiladis.
The impact of sodium alginate hydrogel on exogenous glucose oxidation rate and gastrointestinal comfort in well-trained runners
Full text linkThe purpose of this study is to quantify the effect of adding sodium alginate and pectin to a carbohydrate (CHO) beverage on exogenous glucose (ExGluc) oxidation rate compared with an isocaloric CHO beverage. Following familiarization, eight well-trained endurance athletes performed four bouts of prolonged running (105 min; 71 ± 4% of VO max) while ingesting 175 mL of one of the experimental beverages every 15 min. In randomized order, participants consumed either 70 g h of maltodextrin and fructose (10% CHO; NORM), 70 g h of maltodextrin, fructose, sodium alginate, and pectin (10% CHO; ENCAP), 180 g h of maltodextrin, fructose, sodium alginate, and pectin (26% CHO; HiENCAP), or water (WAT). All CHO beverages had a maltodextrin:fructose ratio of 1:0.7 and contained 1.5 g L of sodium chloride. Total substrate oxidation, ExGluc oxidation rate, blood glucose, blood lactate, serum non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration, and RPE were measured for every 15 min. Every 30 min participants provided information regarding their gastrointestinal discomfort (GID). There was no significant difference in peak ExGluc oxidation between NORM and ENCAP (0.63 ± 0.07 and 0.64 ± 0.11 g min , respectively; > 0.5), both of which were significantly lower than HiENCAP (1.13 ± 0.13 g min , < 0.01). Both NORM and HiENCAP demonstrated higher total CHO oxidation than WAT from 60 and 75 min, respectively, until the end of exercise, with no differences between CHO trials. During the first 60 min, blood glucose was significantly lower in WAT compared with NORM and HiENCAP, but no differences were found between CHO beverages. Both ENCAP and HiENCAP demonstrated a higher blood glucose concentration from 60-105 min than WAT, and ENCAP was significantly higher than HiENCAP. There were no significant differences in reported GID symptoms between the trials. At moderate ingestion rates (i.e., 70 g h ), the addition of sodium alginate and pectin did not influence the ExGluc oxidation rate compared with an isocaloric CHO beverage. At very high ingestion rates (i.e., 180 g h ), high rates of ExGluc oxidation were achieved in line with the literature. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2022 Sutehall, Muniz-Pardos, Bosch, Galloway and Pitsiladis.
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